Seth

I have a to do list that is growing by the minute, but that's another story entirely.  I want to take a few minutes and get some thoughts down about each of my sweet boys.  Tonight I'll start with Seth.  And yes, I set my timer again so I'm going with it and posting and not thinking too hard.

• Reader.  Although he would rather play outside or play on the Wii or play a game on the Kindle or one of our phones.  I love that (1) he has to start working on a book report for school and (2) he has an "assignment" to read 15 minutes a night 4 or more nights a week.  LOVE being able to say he has to read and him not having room to argue.
• Fears embarrassment.  I am learning with Seth that he often seems fearful but I think the real fear is embarrassment.  I'm not sure he fears something bad or scary happening as much as he fears not knowing what to do and doing the wrong thing.
• Argumentative.  Sometimes I think he doesn't even hear what I'm saying because when I start to talk he is already formulating a different opinion.  No matter what I say his opinion will be different.  I am learning he and I are a lot alike and this will likely always be an issue that we will have to work at.
• Social.  This kid knows everyone's name at school and loves to greet people by their names (very politician-like). 
• Talkative.  Yikes, he could talk your ear off!  He was playing the Wii the other day while I was working on something at the table.  I was focused on my task and he was playing alone.  It suddenly hit me that he had not stopped talking the entire time.  Talking to the Wii, trash talking the Wii, talking about his Wii skills.  I really think he has a promising career as a sports commentator.
• Smart.  He likes to learn and school comes fairly easy for him.  He rushes too much and often wants to just be done but if he can slow down he's great. 
• Growing up.  He had a bad case of poison ivy and the doctor warned him the medicine didn't taste great.  However, I was glad to be able to reason with him that the short time he would have to taste the icky medicine was SO worth the benefits of the taste.  He's been a trooper and is feeling much better! 
• NASCAR fan.  He knows every driver's name, number and sponsor.  One day we were watching a race and he said, "That's [insert whatever driver's name]'s wife."  Huh?  Who knows that?
• Big brother.  This goes both ways.  The younger two pick up on his bad habits but, wow, Max adores his Sethy!  And sometimes I think he actually has a glimpse of understanding how important this role of big brother is. 
  
   

Okay, I'm at 13 minutes.  Must move on for tonight...

Surprise!

Let's see if I remember how to do this blogging thing.  In the interest of jumping back in, I have set a timer and am going to type for the next 10 minutes - no going back to edit, just going with it.

Where have I been?  Busy living life and raising three crazy, sweet, argumentative, crazy, rowdy, sweet, wrestling boys.  And that sums up about 2 minutes with the 3 of them!  There are times when they finally fall into bed and I just want to lie on my bed, motionless, and absorb the quiet.  There are times when I want to scream, "Please do not touch me for five entire minutes."  And then there are times when they've been in bed for just a few minutes and I have to resist the urge to go snuggle up next to one of them just to be sure they are okay. 

My heart feels heavily lately knowing so many people are struggling with sick kids (or worse)  financial struggles or relationship woes.  I feel like it's hard to keep track of everyone I want to care for, pray for, worry about, encourage, love on, etc.  Maybe this is just an age thing, getting older leads to more grown up problems perhaps?  Or maybe it's just making me more sentimental?  Or maybe there just really is more tragedy and sadness?

Well, this isn't where I thought I would go with this post.  Where have I been was the question...

I'm nearly out of time so I think I'll share about our summer since I neglected to blog even one minute of it.  I would say this was my best summer as a mom!  Seth is 7 and I've been home for 5 years and I must say this summer rocked!  Part of it was the creation of Sister Sanity Day nearly once a week.  My boys LOVE hanging out with their cousins and my sister and I learned our kids were finally at ages where it was fun to be together and just hang out with all five of them so we did - the pool at the Y was a huge hit.  We also did found a beach (beach, in the middle of the Midwest, YES!) about 45 minutes away.  It was small and rather in the middle of an apartment complex but there was sand and water and five kiddos who had a great time and two sisters who could sit on towels near the water and chat and soak up the sun and keep a close eye on their sweet kiddos loving on each other.  (Note: leave before rush hour or just stay later next time - tired children sitting in a traffic jam were not the highlight of this day!)

Eek, I'm at 12 minutes.  Time to wrap it up for tonight.  Hopefully I'll be back soon.  But I think I won't make any big promises.

Wordy Wednesday

The boys make me laugh on a regular basis.  Rather than jumping on the 'Wordless Wednesday' bandwagon I thought I'd go the opposite:

Recently all three boys had dentist appointments.  As I was checking out and making the next appointment (and trying to get everyone to pick just one sticker and explaining that the basket of dental floss was not more stickers and that the Toy Story tooth picker was not a necessity), Seth loudly says, "Oh by the way, Moooommmm - thanks for not packing me a lunch so I had to eat a nasty hamburger."  My mind starts racing and I'm thinking that it's not possible.  I double check the lunch menu/packing schedule every morning.  Did I change out the menu for the week?  Oh no.  I feel awful.  Seth had, apparently let me suffer long enough so he said, "Ha!  Can't believe you fell for that."  Oh Seth.  Seth, Seth, Seth.

Luke got a toy snake from the dentist.  Seth was in the backseat, doing this whole bit about the snake needing to eat chocolate chips.  I made some crack about never realizing that snakes eat chocolate chips.  Seth's response, "Fine, Mom.  Hey, I'm a snake, give me a dead rat.  Mmmm."  Yeah, chocolate chips are good, I guess.

Max has decided that sleeping is not his thing.  As such he runs through the gamut of options to delay the inevitable.  My current favorites are when he gently strokes my arm and says, "You my best f'iend."  Also, when he gives me the, "I need snuggles in the chair."  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  So much for consistent parenting, huh?

Max and I took the other two boys to school one day and it was snowing a little.  Max said, "It's very snowing.  I'm so exciting!"

Max isn't a fan of rain (or wind or cars, etc) when he's in bed.  But he took it to a whole new level earlier this week.  We were driving down the street and he pointed toward the front of the car and asked me "to turn it down."  I asked if he meant the radio.  He said no and pointed again.  Umm, the rain?  Yes, that was the problem.  I told him he'd have to take that one up with God as I was unable to quiet the rain!

Luke was telling me about some prank he had pulled.  I think he was confessing to sneaking food and telling me how he did it.  He concluded with, "I'm so smirky."  Of course, he meant sneaky but smirky sounded so much cuter!

Luke and Max have a strange thing about needing to hang on me while someone prays at mealtime.  After a local tragedy where a second grade teacher died (NOT at Seth's school), Seth would often pray for the kids not to be sad.  I think that whole situation upset Luke and he would need a hug while Seth prayed about it.  Then I think Max just didn't like that Luke was getting hugs, etc. so he jumped on the bandwagon.  Recently, Max leaned over to snuggle on my arm while one of the other boys was praying.  He didn't quite get to me before the very short prayer ended.  I asked if he needed a hug still and he said, "No, he already amen'd."  Oh boy.

That wasn't how that was supposed to go...

How Monday was supposed to work:

• Get up and get the boys out the door to school with Dave
• Get Max ready
• Head to Target and Toys R Us to finish shopping for Seth's birthday
• Pick Luke up from school
• Go home to clean and decorate for Seth's birthday
• Pick Seth up from school
• Do homework, hang out together,  prepare and consume Seth's birthday dinner
• Open gifts and share treats with Grammy and Grampy

How Monday actually worked (?):

• Get up just in time to get the boys ready.  Struggle to get them to focus on getting ready (early) after two weeks of spring break.  Get them out the door (early) to have breakfast with Dave before school because it's Seth's birthday and Dave's mom is having surgery on the other side of town making it highly unlikely he'll be home before bedtime. 
• Get convinced by a 2 year old (who has been missing his solo mommy time during spring break) that it's time to snuggle.  He walked the older boys to the door, slammed the door behind them, and ran for my bed.

 

• Call pediatrician and make appointment for Luke who tripped on a book Saturday night while running through the upstairs and caught himself on our footboard.  With his face.  [This picture looks pretty good.  As with most bruises, it is now darker purple with some green peeking through, covering much more of his eyes.]
• Call pulmonologist and reschedule Luke's appointment Wednesday as I'm not sure he's breathing right anyway post face smashing.
• Get myself ready.
• Get Max dressed.
• Go to Target where they have NONE of the toys Dave and I decided on on-line Sunday night.
• Head to Toys R Us and get a few toys while Max whines that he is "so so so thiwsty!"
• Run into Walmart to look for what Target didn't have.  Max whines more but since Walmart didn't have the toys either and I was running late to get Luke from pre-k I didn't have time to stand in line to buy a bottle of water.
• Pick up Luke and his friend from school. 
• Take his friend home and chat with his mom.
• Run to Meijer to look for the toys that Target and now Walmart didn't have.  Score at Meijer!
• Realizing I don't have time to get home, unload the boys and the car, and get them lunch, choose to stop at Chick Fil A instead. 
• Eat lunch.
• Take call from Dave who is supposed to have an appointment on the other side of town at 2, after which he will go to the hospital to be with family during his mom's surgery.  Instead, his earlier appointment ran late and later appointment got cancelled.
• Meet Dave in a parking lot to give him the gifts out of the back of the car and have him decide which ones Seth gets now and which ones will be saved for later.  Dave takes them home and decides then he heads up to the hospital.
• Max and Luke (did I mention it is now Max's naptime?) head to the pediatrician's office.  I adore our ped.  She's pretty laid back and I actually texted my sister and said, "I'm guessing she will laugh and we will be done."  Joke was on me.  She looked him over and had him do some things and said we needed x-rays as it might be broken.
• We leave the office and head to the car.  Once at the car I fielded a text from Seth's teacher re: the ingredients in the brownies I made for his school birthday treat (I get this as Luke causes the same questions).  I called my dad to ask him to pick up Seth.  I texted the teacher again to let her know Grampy would be getting Seth.  Then I called the insurance to make sure I could get the x-rays where the doctor suggested.  Except that I didn't have a name of a place, just directions to the place.  So I had to hang up from the first insurance call.  Once there I realized the building was empty so I looked it up on my phone (the name was on the empty building), figured out where they'd moved to, drove there and called the insurance back.  By now, Max is thirsty again (and letting me and the woman from the insurance company on the other end of the line know and thus drinking my coke leftover from lunch) and Luke has uncharacteristically fallen asleep in the back seat.  After what felt like forever, it was determined we could indeed go inside for x-rays.  Unfortunately, this meant waking Luke who was not interested but finally relented if I would carry him inside.
• Once inside he was a trooper (after a bathroom break during which they were calling our name and waiting for us to come out of the bathroom).  Three x-rays later we were done and on our way.
• Another Target was just across the street so two overly tired boys and one strung out mama headed inside to check one last place for Seth's birthday presents.  No go.  But everyone got a bottle of water and we headed out to get Seth.
• Arrived at Grammy and Grampy's and told the younger two that they were NOT getting out of the car as G&G would be over a little later.  SO thankful that my dad had Seth do his homework!
• Finally we got home, about 5.  I begged the boys to clean up some of the mess around the house before G&G got there.  Everyone, including me, was miserable so that ended in yelling and sending the birthday boy to his room for a little break while I at least cleaned up the kitchen enough to make the next meal. 
• Fielded a call from the doctor's office that the nose is, thankfully, not broken.  Fielded some texts from Dave re: his mom's surgery starting late and taking longer than expected.
• Started Seth's requested dinner of chocolate chip pancakes.
• My parents came over and I headed up to wrap Seth's gifts (I like to do these things way ahead of time - ha!).
• Finished making dinner.  Seth refused to eat.  This was a bit frustrating.  And confusing.  He sat at the table with my parents and the other two boys and looked at some strawberries while being very rude to my dad.
• I finally took him for a little chat where he broke down sobbing and let me know that if dad was there it would be okay but nothing was okay without Daddy.  Trust me, bud, I was feeling it too but he was where he needed to be.  I told him that Daddy had met me and picked out which gifts he should get and was waiting for Seth to call him at the hospital.  More crying. 
• Finally I got him calmed down and brought the gifts down and he started unwrapping.  There were quite a few toys to play with so he was sufficiently distracted.  We did call Dave and they talked for awhile.

 

• Finally it was time for treats.  I bought the coolest candle/sparkler.  It was shaped like a number 7 and we lit it up and Seth announced it was going to explode and headed for the other room.  Max sat across from it and cried and said that we would NOT be doing this at his birthday.  I'm pretty sure Luke never even came into the kitchen as he was so busy playing with Seth's new toys (cue the eventual wrestling match).

• Finally, I got everyone ready for bed one at a time while my mom and dad attempted to help me/entertain the overly tired others.  I promised everyone that Daddy would come and check on them when he got home and they all went to bed.  Aaahhhh...
• I think I heated up a pancake about 9pm.  Dave got home around 10 and I collapsed onto the couch with a dirtier house than I had started with that morning.

 

 

Why do I share this?  Mostly for the humor purpose.  And so that I can look back on it someday and think, wow, glad today was SO much easier. 

 

2012 - It's over?

Seems I missed a few months, huh?  Well, I didn't miss them.  I just missed writing about them.  My "word" last year was balance.  Ironic, since I felt like I had none.  I feel like I've lost the ability to multi-task.  Rather frustrating for someone who once upon a time got engaged, finished law school (with a big project due), did bar review, planned a wedding, took the bar, changed jobs, passed the bar, and got married all in 53 weeks.  And then again, I suppose taking care of three boys, running a couple of them to and from school, doing laundry, planning meals, and grocery shopping IS multi-tasking in some form.  It just feels like it's what I'm supposed to do so maybe it doesn't count as 'tasks?'

Anyway, 'balance' was NOT the word for me.  In fact, maybe because I like my bracelet that says 'commit' so much that I'm making another little beaded one to match, or maybe because 2011 felt like a MUCH more productive year for me, I am recycling the word 'commit' for this year's word. 

More about that later, but first, what did you miss in 2012?

*2 kiddos started school the beginning of August.  We've moved to the balanced schedule which meant they started EARLY August (it's actually the end of July this next school year) but they get two weeks off in October and two weeks for Spring break. 

*2 "accidental" (or unnecessary) epi pens sticks

*a visit to the State Fair where my daredevil rode the ferris wheel

*becoming a MOPS discussion group leader

*a local parade

*a trip to the apple orchard

*a visit to the zoo for the last birthday of mine that I'm counting

*a family trip to the pumpkin patch over fall break

*a freezing cold pre-k field trip to the pumpkin patch with my 2 year old sidekick standing in the corner of a field screaming and crying because he wanted to go home

*Halloween with a dinosaur (the only non-violent / animal costume sold in the biggest kid's size), a horse, and Elmo

*a pre-k fall farmer party

*2 Thanksgiving parties at school

*a Thanksgiving celebration at our home

*decorating for Christmas

*the circus and looking at the big Christmas tree downtown

*the children's choir performance at church

*Jolly Days at the Museum

*2 Christmas programs at school

*10 necklaces made for my MOPS group

*2 postponed Christmas parties courtesy of a snow day

*1 first grader loving to read (SO happy he loves it)


That about sums up 2012.  Now, let's see if I can actually share some of 2013 AS it happens! 

Running some quick errands...

Someone asked me if I had big plans for today. So, here is today (thus far. It's 1:35 in the afternoon as I type this).

Today:


Went to bed about 1am. Was joined by a 4 and 6 yr old sometime around 4 courtesy of a lovely storm. Rain = good. But now it's just gloomy. No sun. No rain. I only know it was 4am'ish because I asked Seth what the numbers were on the clock and vaguely recall a 4 being mentioned. Got up at 6am to start my day.


Breakfast, boys dressed, etc.


Woke Max at 7:40 to take Seth to school.


Dropped Seth off at 8:10.


Drove to Avon. Confirmed that the [expensive] navigation update disk did not update the navigation. There is no second exit for Rockville Road. Next exit, turn around, back on, drove back to first exit to get off.


Went to Michaels. Max decided it would be more fun to ride in the large part of the cart. Okay, Luke can walk. Found the frame we went for. Shortest version of THAT story: bought 2 frames Sunday, got home and discovered one was the wrong size. Took it back yesterday. Frame size I need is on clearance so no more at our store. "Avon might have them." So, I found it. I think. Bought two in case they aren't quite identical to the first one so I have two that match. Threw some acrylic paint in the cart for a little DIY project. Looked up 3.2 seconds later to see Max covered in one of the acrylic paints. Fleshtone. Too bad it's all over his shorts. And sandals. And legs. And fingers. And hands. Max is not a huge fan of messy. Walk around the store hoping it dries quickly so I don't end up covered when I get him out of the cart. Max decides it would be more fun to stand in the cart. I instruct him to sit. I calmly suggest again that he sit. No go. I quietly discpline Max. He builds up, w/quivering lip to a full on screaming sob (the norm if you even look at him funny. Or if my mom sneezes in his presence). Not to be deterred I finish shopping while he proves his lung capacity to other shoppers.


Bed Bath & Beyond is next door. We just redecorated the boys' bath with stuff from there so I walked in to see if they had the missing bath rug. No.


Load up into the car. Drive to Hobby Lobby. Notice Gordman's next door is open. Go in. Max wants the big part of the cart again. Okay. Luke is walking. But not obeying. Scoop Luke up and plop him into front of cart. Pray he's not heavy enough to tip the cart (and Max) forward. Proceed to listen to Luke tell me everything I touch is "boring." But that it would be better if he could see it from out of the cart. Argh. Partway through he takes my hand and I think how sweet. Then he smashes said hand into a booger he wiped on the cart.


Moving on to Hobby Lobby. They have nothing that I went for but I end up with $11 of beads instead.


Head to Sonic drive thru for my massive cranberry limeade (the main reason I chose to look in Avon for the frames) and the boys' slushies. Not realizing that purchasing Max a slushie would result in him screaming, "Mom, oossieeeeeee!" [Mom, juicy.] Every 43 seconds the entire ride home.


Swing into gas station/Blockbuster Express for a movie. Find they don't have the movie I wanted to see. Oh, but they do have ChipWrecked, which the boys have now seen probably seven times but still love.


Get on interstate. "Mom, oossieeeeeeeeeeeeeee." Get off at alternate exit for RedBox. Wait f.o.r.e.v.e.r. for woman in front of me to rent a movie called 'Machine Gun Preacher.' She excitedly tells the people she is with how she has been trying to get this movie forever. Yeah, they have my movie (and it does not involve clergy and weapons).


Drive home. Race to the restroom. This is an uncharacteristic moment but I must admit here that I have not figured out how to use the restroom in public with my entourage, so I just don't.


Ahhh. Now time for lunch. And the remainder of the slushies.


Thud. Luke just spilled his strawberry slushie on the only part of the kitchen floor that I mopped yesterday. Must. Go. Nap. I mean clean. Must. Go. Clean.

Vacation 2012 - Home again, home again

Traffic was hideously awful leaving.  It was hard enough to leave this view from our bedroom, but add to that going 20-30 miles an hour  and it was almost unbearable.

And it would appear I wasn't alone.  I can't get the picture turned easily so just tilt your head (and cover your ears).  We ended up stopping about 1am Saturday night/Sunday morning.  All three boys were asleep and it would have been perfect to drive but I'm just not a good car sleeper and I could not stay awake any longer.  We unloaded the essentials, actually put Lukey on the luggage cart, and headed to our room.  Max and I "slept" on the couch (he was coughing a lot and rather pitiful) and the rest piled into the bed. 

We got up and out the next morning and got home around 1 Sunday afternoon.

It really was a great trip!  And one that at least one of my kiddos is old enough to remember, which makes it that much more special.